Ship&#39;s steering gear



Sept. 11, 1928.

A. M. BUTTERFIELD SHIPS STEERING GEAR Filed Jan. 30, 1928 In ven i02 a w W M m1 M h Patented Sept. 11, 1928.

UNITED STATES ANDREW MAuRIcn IBUTTERFIELD, or BATH, MAINE.

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Application filed. January 30, 1928.

The said invention relates to improvements in operating mechanism for ship rudlers of the type in which links or rods are used to transmit the turning force to the cross head.

The invention aims to provide a simple and durable mechanism by which any given rudder torque may be overcome with less power and less weight of operating mechanism than in constructions heretofore used of which I am aware.

With such and other objects in View the invention includes the novel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and defined by the appended claims.

An embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of the apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation and Fig. 3 is a view partly in end elevation and partly in section being taken along line 33 of Fig. 1.

Referring by reference characters to this drawing the numeral 1 designates the rudder crosshead which is keyed or otherwise secured to the rudder stock in the customary or any desired manner. The projecting arms thereof are provided with elongated slots or guideways 1*. 2 designates links or push and pull rods which may have their ends 2 connected in any suitable manner to any desired form of power or operating mechanism which, as it forms no part of the present invention, is not shown or described herein; 3, 3 designate swinging arms pivotally connected at 3" to the fixed pivot or bearing members i disposed on opposite sides of the rudder stock, said arms 3 extending towards each other and having their inner ends pivotally connected by pins 3" to the blocks or members 5 slidably engaging the guideways 1* of the cross head arms 1.

The'rear ends of the rodsor links 2 are bifurcated to straddle the cross head arms and have alining eyes or openings to receive pivot pins 6 which pass through said openings and corresponding openings in the outer ends or portions of the blocks 5.

By this arrangement a push or pull on one of the rods 2 and pull on the other produces a turning force on the rudder stock through the blocks 5 and arms of the cross head 1. By reason of the fact, however, that the blocks 5 are tied to the brackets i by the arms or links 3, their pivots 3 are constrained.

Serial No. 250,820.

to move in the arc of a circle concentric to fixed pivots 3. The parts are so proportioned that the resultant movement of'pivot pins 6 is in a substantially rectilinear path in line with the longitudinal axis of the push and pull rods 2, throughout the angular travel used in steering a vessel, that is 35 as a maximum on each side of the center line.

This straight line travel has the advantage of increasing the effective lever arm of the rudder stock as the degree of angularity increases, and therefore more easily meets the increased water resistance due to deflection of the rudder. This is clearly shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 1 showing the positions at different angles, the cross marks formed by the intersections showing the straight line travel of the push rod'pin connections.

Preferably the arms 1 are made of double form or comprise parallel members on each side of the post, and two push and pull rods are used on each side as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. I do not, however, limit myself to the specific construction disclosed, which is illustrated as being what I at present consider the preferred embodiment of the invention and it will be obvious that various changes might be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is 1' The combination with a rudder post, of a horizontal arm carried thereby having a lengthwise guideway, a slide member in said guideway, a link member having one end pivotally connected to the inner end of said slide member and its outer end articulated on a fixed pivot in line with the rudder post arm when in neutral position, and a push and pull rod pivotally connected to said slide member between its point of pivotal connection to said link member and the fixed pivot thereof. 7

2. The combination with a rudder post, of a horizontal arm carried thereby having a lengthwise guideway, a slide member in said guideway, a link member having one end pivotally connected to the inner end of said lun slide member and its outer end articulated on i the fixed pivot thereof,

a The combination, with a nidder post, of a horizontal arm carried thereby having a lengthwise guideway, a member slidable in a cross head having arms extendi to opposite sides of said post rovided with lengthwise guideways, mem ers slidable in said guideways, links disposed parallel to said and having their outer ends articulated to fixed pivots and their inner ends articulated to the inner ends of said members, and push and pull rods articulated to said members between their points of pivotal connection to the links and the fixed pivots of the links.

In testimony whereof. I afiixmy signature.

ANDREW MAURICE BUTTERFIELH l, i 4 arms when the Iatter are 1n neutral position, 

